Taiwan’s air force is expected to conduct a series of exercises this week as part of its joint combat tactics specialty course, implementing a combat-like simulated environment, airdefensenews.com wrote on Facebook on Sunday, with Ministry of National Defense sources yesterday appearing to confirm the report.
The exercises would include several types of aircraft and include the use of Tien Kung (Sky Bow, 天弓) surface-to-air missiles, as well as naval forces providing air defense and maritime protection, airdefensenews wrote.
Unlike the air force’s Tien Lung exercises, this week’s joint combat tactics specialty training would not have a scoring system and is intended to allow participants to gain joint combat experience through trial and error, it wrote.
Photo: Liu Yu-chieh, Taipei Times
The exercises are expected to last three weeks, it added.
The ministry sources said on condition of anonymity that a combat-like exercise without prescripted scenarios would help improve the air force’s operational effectiveness and joint combat capabilities.
The training would emphasize small-group sessions and encourage participants to develop innovative, asymmetrical tactics, the sources said, adding that improved tactical execution and combat efficiency would enhance overall defensive resilience.
Separately, the ministry said that military units have deployed High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) delivered from the US and it has received a letter of acceptance to purchase 82 additional HIMARS, which must be signed by March 26.
The US announced the sale of 82 HIMARS to Taiwan on Dec. 17 last year at an estimated cost of US$4.05 billion as part of a US$11.1 billion arms package.
The ministry also said it is considering the purchase of Precision Strike Missiles, a series of Lockheed Martin-developed ballistic missiles intended to replace the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems and has reserved funds for their potential acquisition.
However, Taiwan would likely have to wait six to 10 years for delivery, as Australia, the UK, Japan and Norway, among others, have already expressed interest in purchasing the missiles, the ministry said.
The missile has only recently entered mass production and, according to US policy, initial production would first have to pass US military requirements, the ministry said, adding that Australia is second in line as a development partner in the program.
Meanwhile, the Hai Kun (Narwhal), Taiwan’s first domestically built submarine, conducted its fifth round of dive testing after departing from the Port of Kaohsiung at about 8am on Tuesday, the Military News Agency reported.
Shipbuilder CSBC Corp, Taiwan has been accumulating fines since missing a deadline in November last year due to “testing delays,” but last month said that it hopes to deliver the submarine to the navy in June.
Videos of the previous four shallow-water dive trials from Jan. 29 to Feb. 6 released by CSBC showed the submarine performing functions such as steering and control, opening vent valves, diving, raising its periscope and antenna mast, changing depths, launching decoys and surfacing.
Testing of ship maneuverability, reconnaissance equipment, emergency functions and combat management systems has also been carried out, the Military News Agency reported.
Those and other tests comprehensively verified the Hai Kun’s performance, and ensure it meets the navy’s operational requirements and standards, it said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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